1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pedal apparatus for outputting a control signal for use in controlling a musical tone parameter, and an electronic keyboard apparatus having the pedal apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an electronic keyboard apparatus that performs musical tone control in response to a pedal manipulation is known. Also, a pedal apparatus is known that outputs a signal for use by an electronic keyboard apparatus for musical tone control. For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-235392 discloses a pedal sensor adjusting apparatus that controls, e.g., a reverberation time based on a half-pedal value, which is output in response to a pedal manipulation, by referring to a table in which a relationship between damper pedal stroke and half-pedal value is defined.
An acoustic piano has a damper pedal configured to generate a reaction force whose magnitude is different between when the pedal is depressed and when the pedal depression is released. In other words, the reaction force exhibits a so-called hysteresis. Accordingly, a player feels that a half-pedal region is present on a shallower pedal depression side in a forward stroke than in a reverse stroke of the pedal.
On the other hand, in an ordinary electronic keyboard apparatus, hysteresis is not present in a reaction force against the pedal depression, and therefore, a player feels that the half-pedal region is present in the same position between the forward and reverse strokes, if the half-pedal region is controlled by the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-235392. As a result, a pedal manipulation feeling becomes different from that in an acoustic piano, resulting in a feeling of incompatibility.
It appears possible to realize, in an electronic keyboard apparatus, a feeling in a half-pedal region similar to that in acoustic piano by using a pedal apparatus configured to generate a reaction force with a hysteresis between when the pedal is depressed and when the depression is released. However, the resultant keyboard apparatus becomes complicated in mechanical construction and high in cost, which poses a problem.
Not only for the damper pedal but also for, e.g., a shift pedal, it is sometimes preferable to generate a reaction force having a hysteresis between the forward and reverse pedal strokes.